Hundreds of protesters marched on Friday at the village of Bil’in in a year-end protest of the Israeli-built wall on villagers’ lands.
Despite an Israeli army blockade on the village since early morning, Israeli and international supporters joined the protest. And the Palestinian Prime Minister and other local leaders joined the villagers of Bil’in this week.
As is the case for the past six years, the protest started after the midday prayers at the village mosque had ended. As soon as people reached the wall local youth then dismantled parts of it. Israeli soldiers stationed at the nearby gate separating local farmers from their lands fired tear gas.
A local youth was hit with a tear gas canister in his face and was moved to Ramallah city for treatment, many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
“Today the wall was dismantled in Bil’in, soon it will fall all over the West Bank, Bil’in will continue its popular resistance.” Eyad Burnat, head of the local committee against the wall and settlement told Palestine News Network during a phone interview.
The Israeli High Court ruled that the path of the Wall in Bil’in is illegal and must be rerouted more than three years ago. The court ruling gave the villagers 800 dunoms of the 2300 dunoms of land it took to construct the wall and the nearby settlement. The Israeli army still refuses to remove the wall.
Even though the nature of Bil’in protests was nonviolent in most case they have been meet with lethal force by the army. In September of 2009 Israeli soldiers shot and killed Bassem Abu Rahma while protesting the Israeli wall.
